Breast Reconstruction for Men

Postmastectomy breast reconstruction

In breast pathology units of northern Europe and United States, a woman is not considered as cured unless the breast is reconstructed satisfactorily. We consider that a woman is completely cured when she can forget her disease and leave it behind, and for that reason a proper breast reconstruction is fundamental.

In our opinion, the best breast reconstruction is the one performed utilizing her own tissue and for that reason we perform a modification of the technique introduced by Dr. Michel Drever utilizing the abdominal flap, involving abdominal skin below the belly button, attached to an abdominal muscle, which is carried below the skin to the thoracic wall where is shaped as a breast.

In the abdomen, the resulting scar and the amount of skin removed are the same like when aesthetic surgery of the abdomen is performed, i.e. aesthetic abdominoplasty, for that reason we try to obtain a “u” shape scar being covered by underwear and performing a beautiful abdominal reconstruction with an hourglass shape as an aesthetic abdominoplasty were performed.

With this ellipse of skin attached to the rectus-abdominis muscle, which is tunnelized below the skin and pulled out at the thoracic level, we conform a breast with teardrop shape resembling a natural breast avoiding the use of prosthesis. Very good aesthetic outcome is achieved with this technique.

Afterwards, two or three months later, a secondary surgery can be performed trying to match both breasts applying liposuction to the reconstructed breast or a pexy or a plication in the healthy breast trying to elevate it if it is dropped (ptosis). Nipple-areola complex is reconstructed as well seeking a satisfactory final outcome.

Applying this technique, we realize that patients feel like cured and free of disease and forget about their mastectomy episode and the brassier with external prosthesis.

In some cases, like young woman with very few amount of fat tissue in the abdominal wall or with many scars in the abdomen or any other reasons, alternative techniques must be considered to perform breast reconstruction as placement of tissue expander or utilization of a muscle form the back.